Improvement in straw-cutters



TATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN STRAW-CUTTEPLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 40,705, dated November 24, 1863.

.To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, W. NEwLIN, of Ash Ridge, in the county of Brown and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Im-v provementin Straw-Cutters; land I hereby declare that the following' is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specication.

My invention relates to the manner of operating the cutter; and it consists of the hereinafter-described parts.

In order that others duly skilled may be enabled to understand, construct, and use my invention, I shall proceed to describe it in detail.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of my straw-cuttercomplete. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the front of implement, showing1 the springs which return the cutter after each stroke of the knife. Fig. 3 is a plan showing the horizontal vibration of pendulum-bar connecting the treadle and cutter-sash.

Like letters of reference designate like parts in all the drawings.

A is the box or channel through which the straw is fed tothe knife B. The box A is supported in front by the uprights G C, rising from the footing-piece D, and at the rear by the oblique leg E. The uprights C C are not constructed solid, but boxed, and, in the grooves formed on the inside thereof the sash S slides. 0n the cross-bar e of this sash the cutterknife B is secured, having its edge arranged obliquely to the horizontal line. The front end of box A is provided with a steel or castiron plate, e, which, being close to the knife B on sash and ground to a square edge, acts as one halfof a pair of scissors in cutting the straw, as will easily be comprehended on inspecting the drawings.

. In the boxes of uprights C O, below the sash, two helical springs, fj', are placed, the purpose of which is to return the sash and knife upward after being drawn down by the treadle E. The treadle E is hinged to one of the uprights O C, and is connected with the sash by the bent bar y, the upper end of which, passing through the sill d of sash, is secured by screw-nut h, and the lower end of which hooks onto a staple, t', in treadle. As the treadle E is pressed down by the foot, the bent barg oscillates to one and the other side, as shown in red and black lines, Fig. 3, to accommodate itself to the changed position of staple t'.

The object in having a crook or bend in the bar or rod g is to bring the point of attachment of the knife-gate to the treadle inside or back of a line dropped perpendicularly from the cutting-edge of the knife, and by this means giving an inward draft to the knife, whereby it is prevented from springing away from the plate e in cutting, and thereby rendered more effective in its operation.

The operation of my invention needs scarcely to be explained, as it is so obvious. The straw being fed by hand along the box A to the knife B, the operator presses down the treadle E with his foot, by which the sash S and knife B are brought down, cutting the.

straw in itspassage. The pressure of the foot being removed from the treadle, the springs f f press the sash up again, ready for` another stroke downward.

The advantages of the invention lie in its great simplicity.

Having described my invention, I proceed to state what I claim as my invention.

l. Connectin g the knife-gate S to the treadlel E' by means of a bar or rod, g, which at its upper end is swiveled in the sill of the knifegate, and at its lower end is bent in the manner and for the purpose specilied.

2. The knife-gate or sash S, adapted to move upand down in slots in the hollow standards G C, in combination with the inclosed spiral springs f f, swiveled bent rod g, and lever E, when arranged to operate in the manner and for the purpose specified.

WM. NEWLIN.

Witnesses SAMUEL WILKINs, '.lHos. MITCHELL. 

